// Fractal Wavetables // March 2009 // jdn (at) raintone.com // // ----------------- Introduction ----------------- This is a Processing sketch that lets the user explore fractal wavetable synthesis. A variable bank of sliders control the "seed" pattern used to recursively subdivide the waveform data -- starting with the number "1". So for a pattern of "1, 0.5, 1" (the default for this sketch), the first three iterations are: 1 1 0.5 1 1 0.5 1 0.5 0.25 0.5 1 0.5 1 Keep doing this until you have enough numbers for a few seconds of audio, and voila! the sketch begins playing a loop of what the data sounds like when played back as raw audio data. ----------------- Basic Usage ----------------- * Drag the mouse over the pattern sliders to create sound. * Add or remove sliders via the "steps" control. * Try setting the number of steps to an interesting metrical unit -- say "8" -- and use the pattern as a fractal step sequencer. * A and B buttons select the current pattern. * Stereo lets you play and edit both patterns simultaneously. * Morph mode renders two morphs: A -> B in the left channel, and B -> A in the right channel. * The Save button will put a specially-named audio file in the same directory as the program. * If you drag-and-drop these specially-named audio files back onto the app, it will reload the same fractal pattern used to generate the audio This won't work currently for files saved out in "morph" mode. Have Fun! Keep checking back at Raintone.com for updates -- I'm actively evolving this project. If you use git, you can also check out the code at: http://wiki.github.com/jdnorthrup/fractalwavetablesketch -JD ----------------- Props ----------------- * Thanks to Terran Olson's work on audio fractals that inspired this sketch. See http://www.halfcadence.net/audio-fractals/ for more info. * Thanks to Krister Olsson's Ess library for the sound support. http://www.tree-axis.com/Ess * Thanks for Andreas Schlegel's awesome controlP5 library for UI. http://www.sojamo.de/libraries/controlP5/